Immersion of the idol of Goddess Durga on Vijaydashmi (Dussehra) led to communal tensions in Basti and Balrampur. Tension also prevailed in Muzaffarnagar after the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar was found damaged on Tuesday evening.
According to reports from Basti, a heavy police deployment had to be made in Amodha area of the district after violence erupted during immersion of idols following the discovery of tiny meat pieces on the route, police said on Wednesday.
Devotees found meat pieces as they proceeded to immerse idols in the area late Tuesday evening. They targeted meat shops in the area and damaged a motorcycle, police said.
Additional police personnel soon reached there and pacified the people. The idol immersion was done in presence of police. No one has been arrested so far.
A case has been registered against 400 unidentified people under IPC and CLA Act sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 427 (mischief causing damage), 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc), Basti range IG Ashutosh Kumar said.
“We are trying to identify the accused from videos shot on mobile phones. The situation is under control,” Kumar said and added, “No individual complaint over the violence has been made.”
In Balrampur, two communities clashed over playing of DJ during an idol immersion ritual on Dussehra in the Pachpedhva area, police said on Wednesday.
Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma said the clash took place on Tuesday during the immersion of Doddess Durga idol in Harhkadi village.
Both the sides indulged in stone pelting and six people were injured in the clash, he said.
“A case has been registered against 24 people, of which eight have been arrested,” Verma said, and added that four teams had been formed to arrest the others.
Additional police force has been deployed to maintain peace in the area, Verma said.
In Banda, a 32-year-old man drowned during the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga in a pond, police said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening in Mahokhar village when Vinod Singh, while taking a bath during the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga, drowned in deep waters in a pond, Station House Officer, Dehat Kotwali, Ramashray Yadav said.
Villagers pulled him out of the pond and took him to the primary health centre, where doctors pronounced him brought.
The body was handed over to Singh’s family members after post-mortem. The matter is being investigated.
Meanwhile, in Muzaffarnagar, tension prevailed in Tigai village after a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar was found damaged, police said on Wednesday.
Angry people took to the streets to protest over the incident which was reported on Tuesday.
Station House Officer Santosh Kumar Singh said a case had been registered against unidentified persons for vandalising the statue.
The damaged statue has been repaired, he said.
Police said security had been tightened in the village and additional police personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order.
Dalit organisation Bhim Army condemned the incident.
